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Support for peace activists
Support for peace activists, 7 August 2003
EUROPEAN JEWS FOR A JUST PEACE (*)
We express our gratitude to the brave Israeli,
Palestinian and International peace activists who are
putting at risk their personal safety and freedom in
order to expose the insincere approach by the Israeli
government to the "Road Map". These activists are
showing the harsh reality on the ground: for example
construction of the separation wall is continuing in
spite of visible criticism from the International
Community and even from the US.
The brutal repression and numerous arrests which have
occurred in the last few weeks are further proof that
the Israeli government and military are determined to
eliminate any opposition to its illegal occupation of
Palestinian lands, and to keep from the International
Community knowledge of the brutalities of daily life
under occupation, particularly abuses connected with
the separation wall.
We deplore the Israeli government's clear intention of
undermining every possibility for genuine peace
negotiations and its consistent seeking to legalize
the occupation within the Israeli parliament, so
creating yet more barriers between the two peoples.
These barriers reach into people's personal lives, not
only through physical separation, but also through
racial and religious discrimination.
Once again we call on the European Union to put
pressure on Israel to:
a) put an immediate end to the repression of all those
peace and human rights activists who are supporting
both the Palestinian people and the Israeli peace
activists in their struggle for respect for democratic
principles and human rights, and for an end to the
occupation with its blind and senseless violence.
b) respect freedom of information and those whose
activities foster it
We further call on the Quartet to pay particular
attention to these areas by including them in the
monitoring activity provided for in the Road Map.
Issued on behalf of "European Jews for a Just Peace"
The Executive Committee
(*) is a network of 18 groups of Jews for peace in the
Middle East from nine European countries
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